IR implements AI-based system to prevent elephants being hit on tracks

Ministry of Railways, in tandem with Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, have developed  an  AI- enabled intrusion detection system (IDS) to prevent elephants being hit on railway tracks. This information was provided by the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Presence of elephants is detected using distributed acoustic sensors (DAS), the system components include optical fibre, hardware and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion. The system is designed to generate alerts for loco pilots, station masters and control room about elephant movements close to railway tracks, for taking timely preventive action.

Presently, IDS system is working over 141 route kms on vulnerable locations identified by forest department in Northeast Frontier Railway’s (NFR) jurisdiction. Works of IDS have also been sanctioned for identified corridors across IR covering NFR (403.42 Rkm), ECoR (368.70 Rkm), SR (55.85 Rkm), NR (52 Rkm), SER (55 Rkm), NER (99.18 Rkm), SWR (115 Rkm)  and ECR (20.3 Rkms).

 In cases of an elephant being hit by a train on railway tracks, the concerned zonal railway investigates the matter in coordination with forest department and takes immediate steps.

These include imposition of suitable speed restrictions at identified locations and alerting train crews as well as station masters. Regular meetings with concerned forest officials are conducted to update and sensitize the train crew. In the past five years, an average about 16 incidents have been reported.

Other measures taken are as follows:

•  Construction of underpasses and ramps for the movement of elephants at identified locations.
• Installation of suitable fencing along tracks in vulnerable locations to discourage elephants from approaching towards railway lines.
• Provision of signage boards at all identified elephant corridors to pre-warn the loco pilots.
• Clearance of vegetation and edible items surrounding the track within railway land.
• Providing LED lights with a solar system in forest area.

• Deployment of elephant trackers engaged by Forest Department for alerting station master and loco pilots, are taken.
• To prevent movement of wild animals/ elephants near railway tracks, innovative honey bee buzzer devices have been installed at level crossings. The sound created by this device acts as a repellent to move elephants away from railway track.
• Thermal vision camera is also being tried for detecting presence of wild animals on straight track during night/poor visibility which alerts loco pilots for presence of wild animals.